Tag Archives: My thoughts

In these modern times where you would think with technologies such as the internet that people would be more informed on global issues. The result of this is both negative and positive. The negative being that people listen and are only exposed to what is ‘handed’ to them .Through the medians of the internet,television and radio.

As I sat in my Modern history class I heard people chatting about a so called ‘terrorist attack’. All of a sudden my teacher asked the class, ‘Did you hear about what happened?’. A guy screamed out, the terrorist attack in boston!. As a person who doesn’t watch T.V due to many reasons. I hadn’t heard the news before this.

Automatically, The other students were even going as far as implying that it was a terrorist attack conducted by muslims. The continuos use by the media and in turn, the people the word ‘Terrorist’ has become synonymous with ‘Islam’.

Ethnic terrorism in the Middle east as well as terrorist attack conducted by organisations such as Al-Qeada are openly associated with religion.Just as in Northern Ireland terrorism was associated with ‘evangelical protestantism’

The political scientist Michael Barkun said:

“The militia’ superficially secular ideology-the belief that constitutional government is threatened by clandestine political and economic forces-makes close and direct religious associations. These associations link the conspiracy with Satan’s struggle against god, the rise of the Anti-Christ, and the imminence of the end-times”.

Even the reporter on the ABC news, used the shock of 9/11 as a same thing as the Boston marathon. This subconsciously led to people making the assumption, that it was a terrorist attack by so called ‘muslims extremists’.

With no clear evidence or statement.It seems as though this might turn into an excuse to invade another country. Under false pretences.

Once in a while I wonder why those Superheroes in books and movies have an alter ego or a secret Identity. Why do they wear masks? and why doesn’t Peter Parker just came out and say,” hey I’m Spiderman do you have an issue with that? ……. Well rhetorically speaking, of course!

As a cartoon addict I’ve always been surrounded with superheroes that have an issue of showing their true identity.

It’s actually kind of similar to the internet. I can be a superhero,too. But when reality hits home and the curtain is lifted off the mirror and this ‘created utopian image’ is shattered into a million pieces of glass in the process revealing the ‘real’ me, the me I see in my morning reflections every day, with dark circles under my eyes, a little too skinny, the need to conform towards societies image.

Reality explodes only to expose an invisible, secret and silent tear that drips into a private chamber called the heart,only to be ambushed by the firing bullets of unanswered questions that laid dormant for a long period of time, beneath the layers of grounds that make deep inner self,me.

Why do I laugh in my cry? Should the unsaid be spoken? What does my pride hide? Where is the truthful truth? Am I a brainless scarecrow,a heartless tin man gone rusty from tears, an armless nobody whom no one hears, but who can sees the truth.

President Obama delivered his second inaugural address at the U.S. Capitol Monday, Jan. 21, 2013. Obama stressed on his commitment to the threat of”climate change” Monday’s events were ceremonial. The President was officially sworn into office for a second term on Sunday, Jan. 20, as required by the Constitution.

Another event at the inaugural ball in Washington Monday night saw rapper Lupe Fiasco booted of stage by men in suits.

Lupe Fiasco is Grammy-nominated rapper who caused controversy when he said,“To me, the biggest terrorist is Obama in the United States of America,” Fiasco said. “I’m trying to fight the terrorism that’s causing the other forms of terrorism. You know the root cause of terrorists is the stuff the U.S. government allows to happen. The foreign policies that we have in place in different countries that inspire people to become terrorists.”. Fiasco stayed on the anti-war song “Words I Never Said” for 30 minutes. The song contained very powerful words that were anti-Obama and which then caused the lights to go off and men in black suits came out and showed Fiasco off the stage as showed in the video.

The lyrics went along these lines,“Limbaugh is a racist, Glenn Beck is a racist,” he raps. “Gaza Strip was getting bombed, Obama didn’t say shit. That’s why I ain’t vote for him, next one either. I’m a part of the problem; my problem is I’m peaceful.”

The party was meant to celebrate Internet start-ups and that StartUp RockOn. The company released a statement and denies Fiasco was kicked of the stage because of his political views.

“Lupe Fiasco was not ‘kicked off stage’ for an ‘anti-Obama rant,“We are staunch supporters of free speech, and free political speech. This was not about his opinions. Instead, after a bizarrely repetitive, jarring performance that left the crowd vocally dissatisfied, organizers decided to move on to the next act.”

Was it appropriate to remove him off stage in that manner? Was his right of free speech taken away?

The Director of the Hurt Locker (which I consider to be a complete celebration of killing as well as the devaluation of human life) Kathryn Bigelow is the first woman ever to win an Oscar for directing. In Zero Dark Thirty she takes a different route to distinguish Zero Dark Thirty. The movie is predicted to be hit even though it still hasn’t premiered in Australia. (Australian Release: 31 Jan 2013)

The film is reviewed by The Guardian and in summary is about, “A chronicle of the decade-long hunt for Osama bin Laden after the 9/11 attacks, and his death at the hands of the Navy Seals team 6 in May 2011.”

“ Zero Dark Thirty is a gorgeously-shot, two-hour ad for keeping intelligence agents who committed crimes against Guantánamo prisoners out of jail. It makes heroes and heroines out of people who committed violent crimes against other people based on their race – something that has historical precedent”.

In my view Zero dark thirty represents the new style of making films, one were we hear ‘what we are supposed to know‘ and it is the embedded kind. Zero dark thirty is an illustration of the more overt dealings between Washington and Hollywood.

In addition a new amendment which was tagged on the National Defence Authorization Act for Fiscal year 2013 which in summary, allows for the United States government to produce and disburse pro-American propaganda within America’s own borders under the so-called aim of putting al-Qaeda’s attempts at ‘convincing the world against Western ideals.This Amendment Legalises the direct manipulation of Americans without their knowledge with the aid of the available medians.This by all means is a violation of both civilian rights and human rights as well.

In Hyderabad SEAL Team 4 Commanding Officer Job W. Price commited suicide. He and his team were famed for finding and then killing Osama bin Laden.

Commander. Job W. Price, 42, died Saturday, Dec. 22, of a “non-combat-related injury while supporting stability operations in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan”. He has left behind his wife and daughter.

A suicide of an Officer of this rank usually surrounds controversy by the media and also from critics of the killing of Osama Bin Laden, as the team was best known for killing Osama Bin Laden in Abbottabad, Pakistan on May 1, 2011.

At the time Price was in Afghanistan supporting stability operations in Uruzgan Province. He was assigned to an East Coast-based Naval Special Warfare unit based in Virginia Beach. Price’s was also assigned the task of coordinating all of Team 4 missions.

SEAL Team 4 which price coordinated is among eight SEAL team which are deployed. SEAL Team 6 though is best known among them for uncovering and then killing Osama bin Laden.

A military official made a statement regarding the death and said, “appears to be the result of suicide”. The official spoke on the of status of ‘anonymity’ because the death is still being investigated.

Smith added: “As we mourn the loss and honour the memory of our fallen teammate, those he served with will continue to carry out the mission.”.

A film with a powerful message that addresses the role of the media in repetitive wars like Iraq, Afghanistan and also tackles the question, “why do Journalist beat the drums of war regardless of the lies of governments ?”.

The War you don’t see is a master piece of Investigative Journalism. It focuses on the embedded journalism who are to put it in more simpler words actually, ‘In bed with the administration’. The film delves into the history of both embedded and independent Journalism and the role played in many wars since world war one to Japan and the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the many invasions in particular Vietnam to Afghanistan and Iraq.

John Pilger says in the film: “We journalists… have to be brave enough to defy those who seek our collusion in selling their latest bloody adventure in someone else’s country… That means always challenging the official story, however patriotic that story may appear, however seductive and insidious it is.

For propaganda relies on us in the media to aim its deceptions not at a far away country but at you at home… In this age of endless imperial war, the lives of countless men, women and children depend on the truth or their blood is on us… Those whose job it is to keep the record straight ought to be the voice of people, not power”.

Pildger also brings into the context another war after the focus changes from Iraq and Afghanistan to Iran as a Nuclear weapons capability. We see this in present day 2012 (going on to 2013 in a couple of days) I find this to be a prediction a well-informed one by Pilder, who released this film in 2010. The drum is beating for another war hopefully we are more informed and this war does not occur.

This film is a great eye opener and also provides a rare insight into how the media

actually works. Pilger also interviews politicians to the Editor and chief of ITV and also Julian Assange. A great example of investigative journalism.

Since the year is nearly finished, I thought I might put together a list of 5 events that occurred this year that were either funny or controversial, That relates to Australian politics in general so after quite a bit of research this is what I have came up with.

I have personally never ever heard of the word ‘misogyny’ in my years of living but Julia Gillard has taught me a word that would never get me kicked of class because it doesn’t sound like ‘sexism’ but means the same. Another bonus is watching a politician squirm in his seat when he realises he’s in trouble.

Exhibit 3: Alan Jones targeting the prime minister.

‘Julia Gillards father died of shame’ said by the none other then Alan Jones.

Alan Jones a radio broadcaster has always not been one to say nice words to the Prime minister, he caused controversy when he addressees some University students and said the following words .

“Last year, Jones said of Ms Gillard: “I’m putting her into a chaff bag and hoisting her into the Tasman Sea.”

“Jones has also claimed her behaviour in imposing the carbon price “borders on the treasonous”, and has agreed with one of his callers regarding Ms Gillard: “Yeah,that’s it. Bring back the guillotine!”(1)

Exhibit 4 : 4/10/12 The infamous text messages that toppled a speaker and became a polemic issue that will forever be in history.

The only Thing I can say about this one is what a disgrace to Australian politics, they should left it private and sorted it out in cosed doors. But neverteless, this is one of the most talked about things in politics this year and I have found out that,” James Ashby will today lodge a fresh sexual harassment claim against former parliamentary speaker Peter Slipper with Fair Work Australia – despite a Federal Court judge throwing out his case last week for being an abuse of the court’s process”.

The Prime minister decided to have a try at comedy. I applaud her for showing her critics that she does have a sense of humour, the She says, “she will always fight for us and closes by saying: “good luck to you all”. Oh and “at least this means I won’t have to do Q & A again”.

“When contacted, the Prime Minister’s office said: “What Australian doesn’t mind a laugh from time to time? Anyway, the world’s going to end tomorrow so shouldn’t you be writing about that?”(2) to watch the official video click here.

So this wraps up the list on the most controversial or in some cases, The funniest moments in Australian politics for 2012 .Hope you enjoyed it and can’t wait to see what the next political year to come brings, thats if we do survive.

“when they displayed Scheherazade in the third dress and the fourth and the fifth, and she became as she were a ban branch snell or a thirsting gazelle, lovely of face and perfect in attributes of grace, even as saith of her one in these couplets:

She comes like fullest moon on happy night, Taper of waist with shape of magic might. She hath an eye whose glances quell mankind, And ruby on her cheeks reflects his light. Enveils her hips the blackness of her hair- Beware of curls that bite with viper bite! Her sides are silken-soft, that while the heart Mere rock behind that surface ‘scapes our sight. From the fringed curtains of her eyne she shoots Shafts that at furthest range on mark alight”.

This piece of poetry even though I am not a romantic of any sought . I appreciate it because of the flow its depth and also the way the words are manipulated by the author so the reader feels like they are their in that moment with the characters. I am quite fond of this particular stanza of the Arabian Nights. Truly fascinating.